Only Animals
by smackthewarptots
Summary: Raven is in heat, and up until now that had never been a problem. BBXRae. T for now, might change to M later. Check out the tumblr page for extras, link on my profile.
1. Chapter 1

Ok! So this is obviously a very overdone trope, but I had to give it a go. I'm not really sure if I should continue with this, so depending on the response from this chapter I'll decide if I'm going to or not. I hope you guys like this, it was just one of those things that came to me and I had to write it down. Also, for this story the titans are all a little older, around their early 20's. They are no longer the 'Teen' Titans, only the Titans now. Alsooo, Robin is now Nightwing, and Beast Boy is now Changeling.

Oh, and obviously I own nothing but the plot.

Enjoy :)

...

All month Raven had been anxiously anticipating when her body would betray her. Ever since the first time it had happened to her she had taken great precaution. The monks on Azarath had warned her that this would be something she would have to deal with most of her life, and she knew that even the slightest misstep could cost her everything. And that was why every three months, for the week she was in heat she locked herself in her room, feigning sickness. Her teammates had no reason to disbelieve her, and so they never questioned. She thought Robin would eventually put the pieces together that something was going on, because he was always so perceptive, but he hadn't, for which she was ever grateful. She was also grateful that her biology was different than earth mammals. She couldn't imagine having to deal with this every month, every 3 months was hard enough.

She was resting on her bed, having already decided that today she would start the quarantine. She knew that sometime in the next 24 hours it would begin, and then she would be stuck in her room completely. She had bought an electric tea kettle, and stocked up snacking food. She knew she would have to leave her room for bathroom breaks and for meals, but she would need to limit those excursions as much as possible.

The alarm sounded, flooding her room in a blood red glow. She shuddered at the sound, setting down her book next to her on the bed. She stared at the alarm on her wall, willing it to stop, and when it didn't she flopped back on the bed with a groan. She shot back up at a loud banging on her door. With her powers she pressed the 'Open' button, revealing a flustered looking boy wonder.

"Did you not hear the alarm?" He asked, slightly out of breath. Raven stared at him. Obviously she heard it, it was impossible not to. Noticing her stare he sighed. "Well then why aren't you moving?"

"I.. I'm not feeling well." She said, her annoyance building slowly.

"You look fine. We need you, there's a hostage situation down at the bank."

"I really-"

"Now, Raven! We gotta go!" He cut her off and, not waiting for her reply, ran down the hall.

'I_.. I can make it. I have enough time._' She thought to herself, nodding her head in affirmation. She grabbed her cloak and secured it around her neck before centering herself and teleporting outside the bank in downtown Jump. She was the first to arrive, and she took in her surroundings. There were three lines of police, several with riot shields, as well as the chief of police. They all looked relieved to see her, and she nodded to them reassuringly. She glanced up in the sky and she could vaguely make out the outline of Starfire and Changeling. Knowing they were close by and would be there any minute, she phased through the wall of the bank. She found herself luckily behind a pillar, and peeked out to see the situation. There were 5 men in masks, all with guns. 2 were in the vault, already emptying the contents into large duffle bags. 2 were standing guard over the hostages, and the last man was standing by the vault door, talking to someone on a walkie talkie. He was clearly the boss of the whole production. Raven couldn't make out what was being said, but she began to edge around the pillar anyways. She didn't want to start the fight just yet, and she knew stealth would be her best option until the others arrived. She noticed another pillar closer to the men and decided she would try her luck. She teleported to the pillar and held her breath, hoping she had remained unnoticed. Peering around the pillar to check, she came nose to chest with one of the masked men.

"Didn't nobody ever teach ya? It ain't nice to spy on people." The man growled as he jabbed her in the stomach with the butt end of the gun. Her head felt dizzy and she almost fell to her knees as she clutched her stomach in pain. "The Titans are here, boss!" The thug yelled, and Raven grimaced. '_hopefully they will be, soon._' She thought anxiously. The man grabbed her by her hair, yanking her forward with such force that she went tumbling into the crowd of hostages. She reacted instinctively, her training kicking in as she rolled into an upright position until she was crouched, poised and ready for attack.

"You're gonna wish you hadn't done that." Raven muttered under her breath.

"What did you say to me, bitch?" The masked man retorted. He lifted his gun so it pointed right at her.

Just then the rest of the Titans came crashing through the wall to her left. Starfire, seeing her friend in danger, began throwing starbolts at the man. The battle that then broke out was riotous. Cyborg and Nightwing were double teaming the boss, Starfire and Changeling were each fighting a masked man. Raven began ushering hostages out side to the police, shielding them from falling debris and stray bullets as they went.

She had just made her third and last round of helping the hostages to safety when she noticed the two men that had been putting money in the duffle bags were loading the bags into a van around back. She teleported so she was right behind them, and encased the bags of money in her magic.

"The only place you're going to be going is jail." She deadpanned as both men whirled around to face her.

"Is that so?" one of the men retorted, and she could almost hear the smirk in his voice. She frowned, and just as she was about to reply, one of the men pulled out a shock stick and hit her directly in the stomach. The electricity hit her hard, and sent her flying backwards. She let out a cry of pain and stars danced behind her eyes. The bags of money were thrown in free fall as her magic lost its hold on them. The cash flurried down around them, and the men quickly began to grab it from the air and ground. Raven tried to push herself up, wincing and gasping for breath as she did so. She looked down and saw her uniform torn across the front, leaving her pale grey skin visible. The tear stretched from her navel to her hip, and the air felt cool against her burned skin. Her eyes glowed in anger, and she tried to rein in her emotions. The last thing she needed was to level the street in her wake. She managed to pick herself up shakily, and leveled a glare at the two men.

"You really, really picked the wrong day to piss me off." She mumbled to herself, and reached out her hand, encasing the van in her magic. The men turned to her again, and this time one of them held a gun. Still wincing in pain, she vaulted the van through the air. Just as the van landed down the street with the screech of metal being crunched, the man with the gun pulled the trigger. Raven dodged just in time, and the bullet only grazed her cheek. She fell to the ground for what felt like the hundredth time that day, catching herself on her arms. Letting out a loud growl of anger she whirled around to face the men.

"This has gone on long enough!" her voice dripped with venom. She encased both men with her magic and pushed, until they each passed out from the pressure forcing the air from their lungs. She smirked, and then groaned as the adrenaline began to wear off and she felt the scorched skin on her stomach and the blood that dripped down her cheek from the bullet. She let her cloak fall around her to hide her bare stomach, and then levitated to where the police were. She dropped the men there, and nodded to the police chief, who nodded back to her. Most of the police were gone, having taken the hostages to a safe distance. She turned back to the bank just in time to see the fight spilling out onto the streets. Nightwing and Cyborg were still fighting the boss, and Starfire and Changeling were now fighting one of the men, the other having been knocked out. Raven began to levitate to where the unconscious man was, intent on taking him to the police like she had with the others, when out of the corner of her eye she saw Changeling being thrown back by a blast from a shock stick.

Without even thinking, she reached out and caught him. What she wasn't anticipating, though, was the way he knocked into her with such force that it sent them both spiraling from the air towards the ground in free-fall. Further, she didn't anticipate the way his hands cupped around her head so she didn't smack it on impact. Or the way they hit the ground tumbling, until finally they came to a stop, with him fully on top of her, jumbled legs and breathless. Or the way she could feel his breath against her neck and his stubble on her cheek in a way that sent shivers down her spine. She clenched her eyes shut as she felt his thigh brush against a place she wished it hadn't.

He pushed up to look at her, eyes wide and apologetic for hurting her.

"I-" He began to say, but she cut him off and tried to stop the spinning of her head.

"It's fine, really. Don't worry about it, what are friends for." She put a hand against his broad chest, intent on making him get off, but paused as she felt his muscles tense at her touch. His eyes locked on hers and for some reason she couldn't make herself move. his hands were still cradling her face protectively, and one of his thumbs brushed the edge of her cheek absentmindedly. She swallowed as she saw his pupils dilate, and knew he was just as affected as she was. For some reason, her fingers ran along his toned chest of their own volition. His thumb continued its journey across her cheek and jaw until it was lightly brushing over her bottom lip.

Just then, a car exploded down the street as Starfire's starbolts cascaded in a flurry of fury against their opponents, effectively startling both of them and breaking the spell. Her arms regained both strength and original motive as she pushed against his chest, making him move. Her eyes were wide as she stood and pulled her cloak protectively around herself, both angry at herself for slipping and disappointed that it had ended. He stood too and stared at her, waiting for her to make the first move. Instead, like the coward she knew she was, she phased through the ground, teleporting back to her room in the tower.

...

It was dusk before the rest of the team got back, and by that time Raven had healed herself, taken a shower, made herself some tea, and curled up on her bed with a book. She knew she should feel bad about leaving mid-fight, but she couldn't have trusted herself then and she knew it wasn't worth it to try. She thought she could handle it.. handle herself. But she had been wrong. '_Nearly tearing off your teammates clothes in the middle of a fight does not constitute as handling it.'_ She thought to herself. _'That's what you get for taking a risk._' She knew she should have played it safe. She knew that she knew better. She would just have to take more precautions, that's all.

There was a knocking at her door for the second time that day, and she was in no mood to answer it. She continued to read, ignoring the noise. When the knocking got more persistent she glared at the door angrily. She sighed, and tossed the book she was reading onto the bed unceremoniously.

"Who is it?" She called, her monotone hiding any hint of her annoyance at being disturbed.

"It's me." Changeling's muffled voice came through the door. She shook her head. She knew she would have to deal with him eventually, but she thought maybe he'd have given her at least the night to gather herself. She stood from the bed and walked over to the door, but didn't open it.

"Leave me alone, Changeling." She said, and leaned against the door.

"We really need to talk, Raven." He said, his voice muffled from the door. "Really."

"No, we really don't." Raven felt herself getting more annoyed. Why wouldn't he just leave? "You need to leave me alone."

"If you don't let me in I'm just going to say what I have to say out here, for anyone passing by to hear." He said, threatening her with the possible humiliation she knew he was capable of. She let out a low growl. She pressed the 'Open' button on the doorway and crossed her arms. The door slid open to reveal Changeling, his hair mussed and a scrape along his jaw from the fight. His uniform was still dirty, and he looked tired.. _'And sexy,'_ She thought, and then reprimanded herself. '_Seriously though.. who gets sex hair after a fight?'_ She shook her head, clearing her thoughts.

"What is it then?" She snapped, her anger at not being left to herself slowly bubbling to the surface.

"I.. I know what's happening to you." He said, and jumped a little bit when the door hissed closed behind him. He walked further into the room until he was standing directly across from her, a few feet of distance between them. Her eyes widened, and then narrowed.

"What?" She asked, her voice low and her gaze locked on him.

"I know what's happening to you..." he paused, "because for some reason it's happening to me too." He replied, his jaw tightening in a mixture of embarrassment and frustration. Raven continued to stare at him stupidly, his words not really registering to her. When she didn't respond he sighed and continued talking. "I think.. whatever is happening with you has triggered something in me."

"I'm sorry, what now?" Raven replied.

"I said I think whatev-"

"No I know what you said but what in gods name do you mean." Raven bit out, her emotions volatile. He was silent for a moment and then dropped his gaze to the floor.

"Male animals... can sense when female animals are in heat. And.. not that you're an animal, but.. but I guess it works for demons too... and, well- " He mumbled, only inflating her irritation.

"Spit it out." She bit out, surprised by her own voice. She hadn't meant to sound so hard, but her annoyance was bubbling over and she was having a hard time controlling herself as it was. 'See, this is why you quarantine yourself' She thought, exasperated.

"I'm saying that I know you're in heat, and now because of that, I sort of am too." He said, and now his voice was equally hard. His jaw was clenched and his hands were balled into fists.

"... Oh."


	2. Chapter 2

Ok so I decided to give this story a try since the first chapter got such good responses :) I hope you guys continue to enjoy this! Feel free to send me ideas, and be sure to check out the tumblr page I made to go along with the story. I'll be posting extras there. Alssoo I was listening to both 'Do I wanna Know' and 'Wanna Be Yours' By the Arctic Monkeys while I wrote this chapter. You guys should check them out!

...

"You've got to be kidding." Raven breathed, after a long silence of staring at her teammate. She reached a hand up and rubbed her forehead in annoyance. This was the last thing in the world she needed. How did something like this even happen? It was just her luck. Why couldn't he be less sexy? Or at least more of a jerk. Then she could at least have a reason to stay away.

"Unfortunately.." He trailed off. He was looking anywhere but her eyes, surveying the room around him, even the pattern on the carpet, just to avoid seeing the look on her face.

"How does this even work? I'm a demon, you're.. you're.." She blushed when she realized what she was about to say, afraid it would insult him.

"An animal?" He supplied, neither angered or embarrassed by the insinuation. "Yeah, I know. I don't understand it either. "

"Well are you sure this is really happening to you? You're not just.. imagining this?" She asked, trying to bargain her way out of the situation, albeit ineffectively. Of course he wouldn't just imagine an overpowering attraction that appeared out of nowhere.

He eyed her warily, and then, choosing his words carefully, replied, "Trust me Raven, I'm sure." His eyes traveled down her body slowly. It was then she realized she wasn't wearing her cloak, and she suddenly felt naked under his gaze.

"Well.. is there anything you can do?" she asked, her voice wavering slightly. No matter how much she tried she couldn't seem to hide how he was affecting her. She felt his gaze burn into her and for the first time she seemed to notice the deep green color of his eyes, and the many shades within them.

"To counteract biology? Are you serious?" He replied, snorting his laughter. He shook his head ruefully.

"What do you know about biology?" Raven rolled her eyes, earning a glare from the green man. '_That was low..'_, she thought. His parent's were scientists, of course he knew about biology. He was smarter than she really gave him credit for.

"More than you'd think, apparently. Either way, you can't just stop a bodily function. You can't help instinct." Unnoticed by either of them, they both had edged towards one another.

"Well then.. we'll just have to avoid each other. For now." She sighed. '_Not like that wasn't the plan to begin with. To avoid everyone.'_ she thought anxiously. This did make things more complicated, though.

"Yeah.. I'll try. But as I said.. it's biology." There was something in his voice that made her frown. She couldn't place the tone he was using. It seemed foreign in his mouth.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Raven quipped, her monotone slipping for just a second.

"It means I'll do what I can but some things can't be helped." He got even closer, still unperceived by the two heroes.

"...Your confidence is _so_ reassuring." She replied, her voice dripping in sarcasm. "Look, you stay on your side of the tower, I'll stay on mine. That's just how it'll have to be." She said, and then noticing how close they had gotten without meaning to, took a step back, her back bumping into a bookshelf. She gulped, and felt her skin flush. Her stomach was doing flips, and she just hoped she looked calm on the outside.

"..Right." He replied, also noticing the change in the air. His eyes locked on hers and she unconsciously bit her lip. His gaze zeroed in on the action and he bit back a groan of frustration. He noticed how one of her hands was gripping a shelf behind her so that her knuckles turned white.

"You should-"

"Go," He finished for her, "Yeah. I'll just.. ." He said, though he made no move to actually leave.

"Look I'll-"

"It'll be-" They both began to talk at the same time, and then stopped, both blushing.

"You first." He said. She blinked, suddenly she couldn't remember what she had wanted to say. All she could think about was his intoxicating smell, his strong jaw, his full lips and what they could do if they just-

'_Snap out of it!'_ She thought angrily, and then very pointedly stepped away from him, towards the door. She pressed the 'Open' button, and looked back at him. His eyes were dark and wanting. "It'll be better if we just try to stay away from each other until this passes." She finished, finally remembering what she had wanted to say. She motioned to the door, clearly telling him it was time for him to leave. He sighed.

He stepped up until he was standing just outside her doorway, and she was standing directly in front of him. He pinned her with a stare, and reached up to brush a lock of hair behind her ear. She tensed at the feeling of his fingertips brushing her cheek. She clenched her eyes shut as he leaned in close so his lips were right next to her ear, and when he spoke he sent shivers down her spine.

"Maybe, you shouldn't fight the things you want, Raven. Maybe you should let go."

She heard her door hiss closed, and when she opened her eyes he was gone, though his scent still lingered in her room. "This is really, really not how I thought today was going to go." She muttered, and groaned as she flopped down on her bed. Over the years Changeling had grown a lot. And not just physically, but emotionally too. They had a much better relationship now than when they were teenagers, and for that she was grateful. He no longer constantly got on her nerves, and often he left her to herself. He still joked with her and tried to get her to participate in group activities, but he had come to respect her love for solitude, and she appreciated it more than she could convey. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, he had truly grown to understand her. It had surprised her, because when they first became teammates she hadn't expected much from him. She would never admit it to him, but she had misjudged him... underestimated him. He could be thoughtful, and understanding and caring. Sometimes, he would make her tea in the morning if he was up before her (which truthfully, was a rare occurrence). He had set up a T.V. in her room for her when she had complained that there was never any space on the D.V.R for the few shows she actually enjoyed. She had protested it every step of the way, but secretly she enjoyed that he had cared enough to do so. He even made sure to get her favorite flavor of ice cream when it was his turn to do the grocery shopping. She hadn't even realized he _knew _her favorite flavor until it started showing up in the freezer. He did so many little things for her, and she in turn tried to do things for him as well. She learned how to make tofu eggs for him (which, being that her cooking skills were next to nothing, was pretty impressive), because she knew no one else would, and some days he was too lazy to do it for himself and would otherwise fill up on junk food. She let him pick the movies on movie night without grumbling, even though she had sat through at least 5 showings of "Zombies versus Aliens". She even let him teach her how to play one of his favorite video games so that when Cyborg wasn't around she could play with him.

The list went on and on. He was nice to everyone on the team, and she knew he did things for them as well, but she couldn't help but notice that some things he reserved for just her. It made her feel special, which was something she didn't feel often. She never thought he could feel something more than fondness for her, and honestly she never thought she would reciprocate said feelings. She had assumed theirs was a platonic relationship, and was content to have it stay that way. She had noticed the changes his body had made, but if there was anything she had learned from the monks it was self control. She never felt those feelings for him because she simply wouldn't allow herself. They had a greater mission than to fall for one another, and she wouldn't let hormones jeopardize the family she had found in the Titans. Though, it was hard to ignore the muscles he had developed.. or the scruff on his square jaw.. or the height he had gained so he now towered over her. She was very good at repressing herself, and maybe that was what was making this so hard. She had repressed her sexuality for so long that now it was like a dam about to burst. And he was going to be the last straw. She couldn't let this happen. He clearly wasn't in his right state of mind, otherwise he'd be cracking jokes about their situation rather than giving her bedroom eyes. She knew he would probably blame her for letting things get out of control, telling her this wouldn't have happened if it weren't for the overpowering pheromones. The last thing she wanted was for them to.. act on their whims and for him to regret it. Regret her..

And that was why she knew she had to lock herself away completely. She decided she would teleport directly to the bathroom (and only when needed), and directly to the kitchen (and only to grab what she needed and then teleport back to her room as fast as she could). It would use up a lot of her energy, but she needed to eliminate the possibilities that they would run into each other as much as possible, no matter what. She wasn't going to be his mistake, or his dirty little secret. She would just have to repress her desires for a little longer.

But.. what if they didn't go away after this ended? What if this had awakened something in them that couldn't be shut off? '_You can't think like that. Things will go back to normal once this cycle is over, and that will be that. No more lingering touches, or lust-filled glances. He'll go back to not wanting me and that'll be it.'_ She reasoned with herself, even though she wasn't completely convinced. She hoped this wouldn't change their relationship, or ruin their friendship. Though she didn't like to admit it, he had become one of her favorite people. She didn't want to lose what they had over her stupid biologic desires. She simply wouldn't allow it.

...

The rest of the night had passed peacefully. She had meditated, and though she still felt the desire deep within her, she had pushed it far enough into the depths of her mind that she knew she could handle leaving her room for a few minutes. Besides, it was the middle of the night, and nobody would be in the kitchen anyways.

Her stomach rumbled, reminding her of just how hungry she truly was. She had stayed in her room, telling Cyborg she wasn't feeling well when he came to tell her dinner was ready. She knew after her sudden disappearance during battle that they would all be worried about her already, so it wasn't that hard for Cyborg to believe. She lowered herself from her lotus position down onto her bed and glanced at the clock. It was 3:45 A.M.. Nobody was going to be awake anyways. Opting for her hoodie instead of her cloak because of the cold (it was october, and at night the temperature dropped to the low 40's), she grabbed it from her closet and pulled it on. She centered herself, and then teleported to the kitchen.

She held back her yelp of surprise as she bumped into a warm body, both of them almost toppling over. When she steadied herself, she looked up and came face to face with Changeling. Luck was _so_ not on her side today. She mentally cursed herself, and almost immediately teleported back to her room.. And she would have if it weren't for the way he had gripped her hips to steady her. If she teleported now he would only be transported with her because of the contact.

"Well hello, fancy running into you here.." He almost drawled, "Quite literally." He smirked at her shocked expression.

She sputtered, and then regaining her composure, replied, "What are you doing out of bed?"

He chuckled in response. "It seems I had the same idea as you. You thought no one would be awake, right?"

".. Right." She replied warily. "So why are you?"

"I took your advice. I skipped dinner, because I was staying on 'my side of the tower', remember?" he said, and then upon hearing her stomach rumble, smirked. "And it sounds like you did too."

"Uh, Yeah. I held off as long as I could but-"

"Yeah, a person's gotta eat." He quipped. His fingers unconsciously dug in to her hips lightly, not enough to hurt, but enough to remind her of their presence. She pulled away from his grasp, and moved towards the fridge.

"Right, well I'm just going to grab something and then head back to-"

"You don't have to." He said, cutting her off. He grabbed the banana he had been eating off the floor where it had fallen and, with a grossed out expression at the dust bunnies that had adhered to the surface, dumped it in the waste basket. He grabbed another one from the fruit bowl on the counter and turned back to her. "You don't have to hide away while you eat."

"I really, really think I do." She replied, pleased that her monotone was back. She had had enough of voice cracks and wavering words. She edged closer to the fridge. She just wanted to get in and out as fast as she could. This was not part of the plan.

"Look, Rae. We're both adults, I'm sure we can handle 30 minutes to eat a meal together without ripping each others clothes off."

She tried to push back the onslaught of mental images of them in compromising positions that his words brought on. She shook her head and clenched her eyes shut. '_3.. 2.. 1'_ she counted in her head, willing herself to calm down. When she reopened her eyes he was staring at her, amused.

"You know what, sure. I'm sure we can make it through one meal, and then go back to ignoring each other." She attempted to smile, though she knew he could see through it.

"Yeah." He replied, and bit into his banana. '_How on earth can he make eating a banana look so attractive?'_ She thought, and then shook her head again. She really needed to stop thinking things like that or she would never make it through the week.

She opened the fridge and bent down to look inside. She decided on a yogurt and one of Starfire's leftover dishes that had surprised everyone with how good it actually was. It sort of tasted like chicken, but spicy and a little citrus-y. It was also a little crispy, instead of the typically slimy texture that always seemed to be a feature where Tamaranean food was concerned.

"That's an.. interesting combination." He said as she put the dish in the microwave. She turned to look at him sitting at the table, fork paused on it's way to his lips. He was eating leftover tofu and noodles from their favorite chinese restaurant.

"Don't knock it till you try it." She replied. He smiled at her, and her heartbeat picked up.

_'You're really losing it, Rae. It's just a smile for god's sake!'_ She mentally argued with herself, turning to face the microwave. She was so caught up with reprimanding herself that she didn't notice him come up behind her. She felt two strong arms pin her to the counter, and his face bury in her hair. She didn't dare move from her spot, gripping the counter for support.

"I heard that." He whispered, "Your heart is beating awfully fast, Raven." She cursed his animal hearing, it was typically useful, but for once it definitely was not appreciated.

"I thought you said we could make it through one meal." She breathed, and cursed how her voice shook. '_So much for the monotone,'_ she thought.

"And I meant it when I said it.. But if you saw how you look standing there, you wouldn't blame me." His voice was low and she felt herself tense up under him.

"We can't do this." She said. Her breath hitched when she felt his fingers brush her hair to one side, revealing her neck. His other hand came up to rest on her hip, and the edge of her hoodie pushed up slightly, revealed just a sliver of skin. His thumb immediately found it and began to rub circles along her hip bone.

"And why not?" The way his breath was ghosting over her neck made her knees weak.

"You know why." She replied, "This isn't right. Once this.. spell wears off you're going to be yourself again, and you'll feel differently." She paused. "Differently about me." She hated how her voice sounded defeated as she said it. His hands came up to hold her arms and he turned her around so they were face to face.

"What makes you say that?" he was frowning, and without thinking she reached a hand up and smoothed the wrinkle between his eyes. She withdrew her hand fast as she realized what she had done.

"You've never shown any interest in me before this. I know this isn't you.. this is just your hormones talking, and once this is over you'll go back to thinking of me like a sister." She kept her eyes downcast, afraid that if she met his gaze she wouldn't be able to hold out. He was silent for a moment, and then he stepped away. Her eyes darted up to look him in the face, and she saw he was upset.

"If that's what you think about me, that I'd just use you to get off, then maybe we really shouldn't do this." He said, and there was an edge to his voice she didn't quite understand. He turned and walked back to the table to grab his plate. He turned to go but paused, and without looking back to her said, "You know, I'd like to think you know me a bit better than that." And with that he left the room.

She stared after him, lost in thought, until the microwave dinged, startling her. She grabbed her plate, and then teleported back to her room. His mood had gone from lighthearted to dismal in 30 seconds flat. It was so unlike him to be that serious. He rarely ever was, and she couldn't help feeling terrible that she had brought that out in him.

She felt like she had done the right thing.. so why did she feel so wrong?


	3. Chapter 3

Hey guys! Thanks so much for the great responses! For this chapter I listened to 'Into The Flood' and 'We's Been Waiting' by As Tall As Lions, you should check them out :)

Alsooo I highly recommend checking out the tumblr page because I'll be uploading a number of things for this chapter. And as always reviews are super appreciated.

Enjoy!

...

There was a knocking on her door. She had made it two days without anyone disturbing her quarantine. She sighed and walked over to the door and, without opening it, asked, "Who's there?"

"Only me, friend." Came Starfire's cheerful voice. "I know you have not been feeling well, but I was hoping to discuss tomorrow's events with you."

Raven faltered. What was tomorrow? "Uh, tomorrow, Star?" she asked, uncertain.

"Yes! It is the day of hallows!" She replied, and even through the muffling of the door she could hear her friends excitement. Raven groaned. There was no way Starfire would let her skip their annual Halloween party. She opened the door a crack and faked a cough.

"Sorry Starfire, I'm too sick." She tried, even though she knew it would be futile. And just as she expected, Starfire pushed her way into Raven's room and took her by the hands.

"We shall make you ingest many of your earthly medications, and you will feel just fine!" Starfire smiled brightly, and then seeing how Raven did not look convinced, continued, "And do not worry friend, You will not have to play the game of twists, or engage in many conversations. But I simply cannot allow you not to attend the party, it is a family tradition!"

Hearing Starfire refer to them as family, and to see how excited she looked, made Raven realize she just couldn't refuse the beautiful alien. She would just have to suck it up and spend a few hours mingling, and then she could retreat safely to her room.

"As long as I don't have to play twister." Raven conceded, and Starfire squealed in excitement.

"Have you chosen a costume, friend?" She asked eagerly.

"Uh.. actually no." Raven replied, rubbing a hand over her eyes. She hadn't thought of that at all. She could just go as a vampire like last year. She still had the costume.

"Please, I wish to help you make a selection!"

The look on Star's face made it impossible to say no. So for the second time that day, Raven gave in to her friends wishes. "Sure Star. We can go to the mall this afternoon." Raven said, trying to hide her apprehension. Luckily, it went unnoticed. Star rushed off down the hallway, talking to herself giddily about the possibilities. Raven sighed and turned back into her room.

"What have I done." She muttered wryly. There was no way this would end well.

...

"Please, Raven, come out of the room for dressing!" Starfire called to her from the other side of the door. They were in the costume shop at the strip mall, and Star had picked out a ridiculously revealing ensemble, that included both fishnets and a corset. There was no way she was coming out any time soon.

"Uh, sorry Star, it doesn't fit. Guess I'll just have to pick a different one." Raven said as she stared at her reflection, turning to glance at her butt in the mirror.

"It looks just fine to me!" Starfire said, and Raven jumped as she realized Starfire was hovering over the door, her big green eyes assessing the outfit. Raven let out a stifled squeak but quickly covered her mouth.

"Starfire! Boundaries!" Raven exclaimed, pulling her cloak over herself.

"I do not see why you are embarrassed, you look dazzling!"

"That is definitely not the word I would use to describe myself." Raven muttered, rolling her eyes.

"Then what word would you use?"

"um, unfortunate?" Raven replied. "Look, just give me a second I'm coming back out." She waved her hand to shoo Starfire away.

Starfire disappeared back over the edge of the door and Raven let out a breath. She glanced at her reflection once more and then cringed. "Definitely not." She pulled her jeans, tee shirt and hoodie back on and then excited the dressing room. She walked back out into the store and began searching for Starfire. Luckily the woman was nearly 6 feet tall and with fiery red hair, so she wasn't hard to spot. Raven made her way to her friend slowly, not too eager to try on another of Starfire's entirely too inappropriate get-ups. Suddenly Starfire was next to her and shoving a costume into her arms.

"Please, just try this last one on, and then I will pester you no longer!" Starfire pleaded. Raven glanced at the garment in her arms. It was black leather, and it actually didn't look too bad.

"Where did you find this?" Raven asked, actually surprised at the fact that she didn't mind it.

"It was in the movie character section, I recognized it from that flim you chose for movie night that one occasion." Starfire replied cheerily. Raven studied it closer and realized what it was. She had to hand it to Starfire for remembering a detail like that.

"It's from Underworld, it's Selene's costume." Raven said. "All right, I'll give it a shot." Starfire let out a happy squeal, and followed her to the dressing rooms. Raven entered a stall, and Starfire went in to the stall next to hers. Raven slipped into the leather suit, using her powers to zip it up all the way. She turned to the mirror and almost smiled. She didn't look half bad. And it was less revealing than her own suit, and with how her hormones had been lately she was grateful for the extra coverage. "Ok Star, I'll get it." Raven smiled when she heard Starfire's noise of excitement.

Raven pulled her clothes back on and excited the dressing room. "What are you getting?" She asked. Starfire came out wearing a little mermaid costume. She looked both adorable and sexy, and Raven wondered how she could possibly pull both off.

"Is it acceptable?" Starfire questioned, turning in a circle so Raven could get the full view. It was a little skimpy, but truthfully so was her uniform. Raven nodded.

"It's great, Star."

Starfire beamed, and then went back in the dressing room to change. Raven went up to pay for hers, and then went to the front of the store to wait for Starfire. When Star was done paying she came up next to Raven and linked her arm through hers.

"May we dine at the court for food?" She asked. Raven was beginning to realize there was just no saying no to Starfire. As they made there way over to the food court Raven let her mind wander. She was definitely nervous about tomorrow night. The last thing she wanted was to slip up in front of everyone. She would have to be on her best behavior. She would have to spend the night avoiding a certain green man. Typically, during social functions she would just have a few drinks to put herself at ease. Social things always set her on edge, but with a drink in her hand things didn't seem so difficult. She could even relax enough to make conversation. But with the way things were going between her and Changeling she knew she wouldn't be able to risk it. Which was going to make the night even harder to get through.

Raven grabbed some chinese food, and Starfire got 3 soft pretzels with lots of mustard. The two sat down at a booth and began to eat. There was about 5 minutes of silence before Starfire couldn't hold back.

"I have noticed how distant you have been lately, friend." She said cautiously. She knew Raven didn't like talking about feelings much.

"I'm always pretty distant, Star." Raven replied, eyeing her friend thoughtfully.

"This is not how you usually are, though." Starfire said, shaking her head. "I can tell the difference." She paused, her eyes searching Raven's face. "You do not need to tell me anything you are not ready to. I understand this is how you are."

Raven's eyes softened, and she ran a hand through her hair, pushing it behind her ears. "Star..."

"Please, understand that I am always here if you wish to do the girl talk if you wish to..." Starfire sighed wistfully, and then, tossing her hair over her shoulders, continued, "Besides, I know how ill you have been." The twinkle in Starfire's eyes let Raven know that the alien knew she had been lying.

Raven kept her face a mask of emotionlessness as they finished eating.

The rest of the afternoon passed peacefully, but Raven could not shake the anxious feeling that was building in the pit of her stomach.

...

Raven spent the next day meditating so she would be ready for the party that night. She took her time showering and getting ready, making sure everything was perfect. She needed everything to go smoothly tonight. She needed it.

By the time Raven had dressed and come downstairs to the common room, the entire space was packed full of people. The first thing she saw Changeling talking to Bumble Bee (who was ironically dressed as a flower) in the corner of the room. A wave of jealousy overtook her, and she stopped mid step. What was wrong with her? He was just talking to one of their friends. It was nothing to be jealous of, Bumble Bee didn't even like him that way. Raven shook her head to snap herself out of it. Maybe she would have to break her no drink rule tonight after all. She stared at him for a moment, letting herself take in his appearance. He was dressed as James Bond, in a suit, bow tie and he even had a squirt gun. She sighed, and then putting him out of her mind, continued her path to find Starfire. She quickly spotted Starfire by the stereo talking to Nightwing. He was dressed as a Knight. He had a helmet, a shield, and a mace to complete the look. Starfire looked gorgeous in her mermaid costume. She had curled her hair into light beachy waves and pinned it back with pearls and tiny starfish. She practically glowed in the dim lighting.

"Friend! It is good of you to join us!" Starfire leapt forward to embrace Raven which, considering her costume, movement like that was quite a feat.

"Yeah Rae, I'm surprised Star managed to drag you out of your room, you've been locked in there for days!" Nightwing chimed in, his goodnatured smile making Raven a little more at ease. She could do this. Just a deep breath, and she'd be fine.

"Have you gotten punched?" Starfire asked giddily.

Raven stared at her for a second, not understanding, until Nightwing supplied, "She means punch. Have you tried the punch yet?" As he spoke realization dawned in her eyes.

"Uh, not yet." She replied.

"Well Cy and Changeling made a special recipe just for tonight. Apparently it's a little strong, so don't drink too much." He smirked, knowing how she usually was at parties and social functions. The team had long since gotten used to her party etiquette. She was polite, and she participated in conversation, but only after a drink or two. Because of her demon heritage, she was less susceptible to the effects of alcohol, and could therefore outdrink any member of the team. That was also why they never commented on how many drinks she drank, because she never acted drunk. Sometimes a little tipsy, but never outwardly drunk. And as long as she held herself together, it was a small thing to worry about.

"Yeah, I'll be sure to give it a try." Raven said. She noticed how Starfire's cheeks glowed and how she leaned against Nightwing slightly, and she could tell that Starfire had maybe one too many. Raven couldn't hold back the wry smile, tiny as it was, that graced her lips.

Just then a new song came blasting over the sound system and Starfire squealed. She grabbed Raven's hands and pulled her towards the middle of the room, which had, for tonight, been turned into a dance floor. Raven dug her heals in, though it did little good against the Tamaranean's strength.

"Star, wait, I don't dance!" Raven said, a little too anxiously. She tried to pull from Starfire's grasp, but she knew that was futile. She couldn't teleport without taking Starfire with her, so she would have to try to talk her out of this the old fashioned way.

"But this is a wonderful melody!" Starfire said, and twirled around Raven gracefully. She took Raven's hands and spun her around as well, causing Raven to feel dizzy and a little nauseous.

"I can't, Star. I'm sorry but I just don't dance." Raven began to pull away, but stopped when she saw the puppy dog eyes and pout that Starfire had adopted. She groaned.

"Pleeeaasee Raven! Just one dance and then you can go back to your corner!" Starfire pleaded, as she swayed her hips, the bass booming in the background. Raven sighed, giving in. She took Starfire's hand and let the alien lead her into the center of the room. Most of their friends and acquaintances were already on the floor dancing away. Although Raven didn't like rubbing up against people, she had to admit it wasn't as bad as she thought it would be. The beat reverberated around them, and Raven tried to mimic Starfire's movements. Though, she knew she was nowhere near as graceful as Star or even Bumble Bee, she felt like maybe she wasn't doing too badly. She noticed Starfire smiling at something behind her, but before she could turn around she felt hands on her waist.

"You look lovely," She felt Changeling whisper into her ear, making her shiver. Her mouth went dry as she tried to think of something to say back. He pulled her hips back so he was flush against her, and she let him take over the movement. She swayed along with him, every so often rolling her hips against his. It was intoxicating, and she felt him run his hands along her sides. She had lost sight of Starfire in the crowd, but could see her fiery red mane bobbing in the distance. Luckily, they were surrounded by bodies on every side, and it felt like no one could see them. She knew she shouldn't, but she couldn't help but to let herself become lost in the feeling of his hands on her body. She turned around so she was facing him and looked into his eyes. He held her gaze and didn't look away as his hands continued their journey over her waist and hips. She moved against him, letting the music dictate her movement. His pupils were dilated and she noticed the goosebumps that went down his arms as she ran her fingernails through his hair and along the nape of his neck. Her arms were wrapped around his neck as he pulled her even closer. Their faces were really close together, and she felt herself press her body further into his. He brought a hand up and lightly held her face, his thumb ghosting over her lips. He lowered his head so his lips were on her neck, and began feathering light kisses up towards her jaw. Her eyes fluttered shut at the motion, and she gripped his shoulders for support. Was he _trying_ to kill her? She nearly stopped moving altogether, and it was only his other hand pushing on her hip that reminded her to keep dancing. His kisses made their way up past her jaw, over her cheek, and paused until he was right over her lips. Her eyes shot open to meet his. They were mere centimeters apart, and she felt her pulse just about beat out of her chest. Involuntarily she parted her lips, and that was all the invitation he needed. He lowered his head slightly, and his lips ghosted over her own. They had barely touched when a new song came booming over the stereo, causing her to jump and pull away. It was the barest brush of a kiss, and she brought her fingers up to her lips, the feeling still lingering. He watched her, his expression enigmatic. She held his stare until she felt herself falter, and then she turned and disappeared into the crowd.

She forced her way through the throng of people until she came to the small table they had set up for refreshments. She grabbed herself two glasses and filled them up with the special punch. _'Definitely breaking the rule.._' She mused as she knocked both of them back without a second thought, the liquid burning down her throat. '_I'll drown all of you, you damn hormones. Every last one.' _ She thought to herself wryly.

"Whoah there, you might wanna slow down on those. That's mostly straight vodka, with some cranberry juice and a little ginger ale." She heard Cyborg chuckle from behind her. She turned to see the metal man, who was dressed as a pirate, smiling at her. "Rough night?" He asked. She returned his smile best she could.

"Uh, yeah. You could say that." She pushed her hair behind her ear and moved to lean against the wall. She watched the crowd of people move to the music and mingle with each other.

"I know how hard these things are for you. I just want you to know I'm happy you decided to come." He reached out and patted her shoulder.

"Thanks Cy." She said, and then sighed. "Look, I actually think I'm gonna go try to find Jinx. She said she had something to show me. Some spell or other." She said. She knew it was a lie, but she had to say something to get away. She needed a minute to herself.

...

She had made her way to the kitchen, and was sitting on the countertop, waiting for water to boil for tea. At first, she had told herself she would only take 15 minutes to gather herself before rejoining the mob, but 15 had turned into 30 which had turned into 45... and that was how she ended up spending almost 2 hours in the kitchen reading the backs of cereal boxes to pass the time. It actually wasn't as bad as it sounded, and compared to what lay beyond the kitchen walls, it was better to spend her time with the cereal.

Just then Changeling entered the room. His tux was a bit rumpled, and his bow tie was undone. He looked both handsome and sexy, and she wanted to mentally kick herself for thinking so. She slid off the counter cautiously, and moved her tea kettle off the burner.

"You've been hiding from me." He said, his voice low. He was watching her from his spot near the fridge. She eyed him warily.

"I have not." She lied. He raised an eyebrow and smirked. She sighed, and looked down at her combat boot clad feet. "Ok. Maybe I have been."

"Are you afraid of me? I'm sorry if I've been too forward." He paused. "It's just I can't seem to help it. I know it's the pheromones but.. I can't seem to stop myself." He stepped closer, and she backed up, her hip hitting the counter.

"I know. But that's why we need to stop. I don't want you to do something you'll regret because you're in a hormonal stupor." She said, trying to ignore the close proximity he had gained.

"I understand you think that this is purely my hormones overpowering me, but I want you to know you're wrong." He said, his eyes holding her captive. She couldn't have spoken then if she tried. "They've allowed me to act on my feelings, but they are my feelings. You aren't seducing me against my will with your demonic pheromones." He paused, his eyes searching her face. "I've always felt this way." His voice was barely over a whisper. She stared at him, unsure of what to say or do.

"Enjoy the rest of the party, Rae." He replied, and then leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her cheek. Her eyes slipped shut involuntarily at the contact, and when they fluttered open he was gone. She bit her lip, and the pain sharpened her senses forcing her back to reality.

She glanced at her tea kettle, but suddenly tea was the last thing she wanted. She put the mug back in the cupboard and dumped the water out of the kettle, and then left the kitchen. She saw Changeling just as he was leaving the common room, clearly done for the night. She frowned. Usually he loved parties, and was one of the last people lingering at the end. On more than one occasion he had been the last to go to bed. Last new years eve he had convinced her and Cyborg to join him with sleeping bags on the roof to watch the fireworks, and they stayed up all night. Starfire and Nightwing had wanted to spend the holiday together, and had gone out for the occasion, leaving the remaining three Titans to their own devices. Surprisingly, it was one of Raven's fondest memories. She had stayed quiet, mostly, and listened to the two young men laugh and joke with each other. It was relaxing. She even joined in when they began to talk about their favorite moments from the past year. Cyborg had eventually fallen asleep around 3 a.m., but Changeling and Raven had stayed up to watch the first sunrise of the new year. They sat on the edge of the tower, feet dangling off.

Raven watched as he left, the door sliding shut behind him. She sighed. She made her way over to the table of refreshments and filled another cup. She drank it down, grimacing at the taste, and then poured another.

She had made it through three glass-fulls by the time Cyborg came back over. He smiled at her, but he was assessing her at the same time. He was trying to see if she was really ok. "Hey Rae, how's it goin'? He asked hesitantly. The dark sorceress usually stuck to a drink or two, but she had long surpassed that.

"Great, Cyborg. Just great." She said, keeping her voice emotionless. She moved to pour herself another glass, but Cyborg reached over and took the ladle from her.

"I think you should maybe slow down on these, don't you?" He asked, smiling at her slightly. She stared at him, and then, dejectedly, nodded.

"I'm sorry, it's just been one of those nights." She mumbled, leaning her back against the wall for support. Cyborg watched her thoughtfully.

"You know, both you and Changeling have been acting funny the past few days. Anything you wanna talk about?" He asked, cocking an eyebrow. Raven felt her skin flush, but showed no change on her facial expression.

"No thank you." She moved to leave, but paused, turning back to him. "But thank you for asking." She said, and then she left the room.


	4. Chapter 4

The songs for this chapter are Sleeping Sickness by City and Colour and I'll Be Around by Empire Of The Sun. This chapter was really difficult to write, and I rewrote it about 4 different times, and finally settled on this version. Also, I'm not very good at writing the fluffy cutesy stuff, I much prefer to write stories that are gritty and dark. But, I am trying to branch out a bit. That is sort of one of my goals with this story, there will still be plenty of darker aspects, but just not as much as I'm used to writing.. aaannd I'm gonna try to add in the fluff (somewhere in there... hopefully).

Thanks for putting up with my rambles, now onto what you came here for :)

...

Raven had awoken the next morning at 11 a.m. with a splitting headache. She groaned and propped herself up on an elbow, gently rubbing her temple with her other hand. She sat there in silence for a moment, both confused and frustrated by the pounding in her head until, with a rush of clarity, the previous night's events came flooding back to her.

She let out a noise of frustration, clenching her eyes shut._'That... was a mistake._' She mused, remembering the number of drinks she had consumed the night before. She knew she should have known better... It was just the hormones causing her to act rashly. Typically, she was cautious. She never did anything without thinking of all possible outcomes. She never acted on a whim. So why had she let herself lose control like that last night? Granted, by other people's standards it wasn't actually that bad, but for her... it was. Before this week, she never would have danced sexily on someone in the middle of a dance floor, be it with Changeling or otherwise. She never would have downed nearly 8 glasses of vodka and cranberry, and she never would have let herself be kissed in front of a crowd of people, in a very public way. '_Maybe nobody noticed.._' She hoped. But in a room full of people, that was unlikely. Highly, highly unlikely. Hopefully no one would make anything of it. '_There's always mass memory wipes...'_ She mused, though she knew there was no way that would happen. A wipe that big would put her out of commission for way too long because of how much power she'd have to use. And especially with her current condition.. it wasn't worth it to try.

She winced as she stood up, in desperate need of water, a shower, and toothpaste. Lots and lots of toothpaste. She shuffled over to her dresser and pulled out a pair of clean sweatpants, a plain white tee shirt, and then teleported to the bathroom. She glanced at herself in the mirror and grimaced. Thank god no one could see her, she looked terrible. She had worn makeup last night for her costume (A rare occurrence for her. If she ever wore makeup at all, and that was a big 'if', it was a little eyeliner, and maybe some blush), and the eyeliner and mascara were smudged so badly she resembled a raccoon more than a person. She grabbed a washcloth and scrubbed at her face until it was red from the friction. When she looked at her reflection again she frowned. '_Great. Now you look like a tomato.'_ She sighed. She reached up and touched her lips lightly with her fingertips. less than 24 hours ago she had been kissed by the man that as of late had occupied her every waking thought. No matter how long she meditated, no matter how she tried to take her mind off him, ever since he had fallen out of the sky and crashed into her.. everything had changed.

_"They've allowed me to act on my feelings, but they are my feelings. You aren't seducing me against my will with your demonic pheromones. I've always felt this way."_ His words rang out in her mind. Had he been serious? And if so, how had she not noticed? She had always tried to respect her friends boundaries where her empathy was concerned. She never invaded their thoughts, and she never tried to get inside their heads without their permission. But even so, she couldn't help it if they projected themselves onto her. She couldn't help feeling Starfire's joy, or Nightwing's determination. Those were things her teammates felt so strongly that she couldn't help but to notice them. If Changeling had truly had feelings for her, then how had she not noticed? It wasn't out of the realm of possibilities, but it also would be difficult to accept. Maybe she had just been blind. Maybe she hadn't wanted to see. Maybe she was avoiding the truth that they could really have something... have a relationship. Maybe she was just scared. Of course, she knew she and Changeling hadn't exactly had a strictly platonic relationship ... but they also weren't anything more than that either. Somewhere in the back of her mind she always knew there was that possibility, whether she subconsciously admitted it or not. Sometimes she would catch herself staring at him, but she chalked that up to hormones. After all, he had grown up quite nicely. How could she not notice? She'd have to be blind.

Raven turned on the shower. She stepped under the spray and was jolted out of her thoughts by the cold. '_This is a massive tower, how is it that we still manage to use up the hot water?'_ She grumbled as she took the fastest shower of her life. She was shivering by the time she exited, and her frigid hair was clinging to her neck and cheeks. She toweled herself off and pulled on her clothes, and her teeth were chattering slightly. She ran a brush through her hair, but it did little good. Looking at herself in the mirror one last time, she resigned herself to her appearance. She was about to teleport back to her room when she stopped. Shaking her head, she made a decision.

She centered herself, and then teleported to right outside Changeling's door. She brought her fist up, about to knock, and then paused. She lowered her fist. She groaned in frustration and began to pace slowly. On the one hand, she knew she needed to deal with this. With him. But on the other... she just wanted to go back to her room and curl up in bed and heal her hangover and forget all her problems. She leaned against the wall for support, letting herself slide down until she hit the ground with a soft thump. She pulled her knees up close to herself, wrapping her arms around them and rubbing, trying to make her goosebumps go away. At this point she didn't know if they were from the freezing shower or her nerves. She warred with herself, battling with her sanity for a semblance of courage. Why did everything have to be so complicated? Was she even sure she really wanted this? Relationships could be so messy, did she really want to get into all of that?

Just then the door slid open, and Changeling stepped out, startling her. _'Guess there's not going back now..'_ She thought, frowning slightly.

He crossed his arms and leaned against the doorway. "So.. Are you planning on sitting out here all day?" He asked, a smirk playing on his lips.

"How did-?" she began, wondering how he knew she was there.

"Super hearing, remember?" He replied, pointing to his ears. He stepped forward and offered his hand. She paused and stared at his hand, and then hesitantly took it and let him pull her up. "So I take it you're ready to talk?"

"I.. yeah." She said, suddenly nervous. She pushed a strand of still damp hair out of her face and offered up a smile as best she could. He stepped aside and let her enter the room first, and then walked in behind her. The room was surprisingly clean, for him. Which meant there was still crap everywhere, but at least you could see most of the floor. Notably, there were stacks of comic books everwhere, as well as a burnt out lava lamp, a vase filled with dead flowers from the time he was sick and Starfire had taken it upon herself to look after him, and an old game cube from his childhood, among other things. She walked over to his bed (he had long since gotten rid of the bunk beds in exchange for a queen size) and plopped down. She fiddled with her hands, unable to look at him. He leaned against his desk, arms crossed, watching her.

"Soo.." he began, letting the word trail off his lips. She raised her eyes to look at him and gulped. Maybe coming here was a bad idea. What was she even supposed to say? '_Hi! I'm unbelievably attracted to you right now and it's hard to be in your presence especially now that I know you want me too but I don't want to be a notch in your bedpost or a one night stand while we fuck out our feelings and try to figure out if we are something or aren't and-' _Yeah. that wasn't gonna work. She instead opted for mumbling.

"I.. I mean.." She stuttered, trying to find her bearings. She stood up suddenly, unable to stay still. He stood up straighter as well, stepping away from the desk and towards her. She felts her fingers go numb from squeezing them together too hard, and she felt her desire grow to an unmanageable strength. She caught his gaze and faltered, his eyes were dark and his jaw was clenched, betraying his own lust. "I..." She faltered

"You...?" he asked, his voice gravely from desire. For the life of her she couldn't remember what she had wanted to say. All that she could see was the way his tee shirt showed off his strong arms, and how his 5 o'clock scruff made his square jaw just that much more masculine, and the way his hair was sexily mussed, and how his bright green eyes were staring at her like he was seconds away from losing his control.

"I shouldn't have come.." She said suddenly, and turned to go. He reached out and caught her elbow, holding it tightly.

"If you have something to say, just say it. Don't run away like you don't feel anything." He said, his brow knit in frustration. She locked eyes with him and her breath caught.

"I.." She felt her arm go limp in his grasp, unable to even attempt to fight back. She knew both their hormones had them worked up. For the hundredth time that week she cursed her body, and the burden that came with it. There was no way to be level headed when she felt like she did.

"You, _what_, Raven? Is there something you want from me?"

"No, I-"

"No? You're really trying to tell me there's nothing?"

"No, I mean.. Yes.. But-"

"Just say it! Just say what you need to say."

"I can't!" She said harshly, yanking her arm from his grip and then running both her hands through her hair. This whole thing had gotten a way too heated for her. She clenched her eyes shut and tried to calm herself. Her emotions were warring with each other and the desire to reach out and touch him made it so much harder to think than it normally was. She was almost overcome with want, and she tried to put some distance between them.

"..Why not?" He asked, and the edge in his voice was almost enough to cut through her resolve. "What are you so afraid of?" He demanded, gesturing in exasperation between them. "Is it me?"

"No.. no." She paused, "It's..." she trailed off, turning away from him.

"God damnit Rae! You're not saying anything." He went and stood near the door. "You know, if you're not gonna talk then just leave. I know you way too well to listen to you talk yourself in circles like nothing is happening." He gestured towards the door. "Come find me when you know what you want." He crossed his arms, resolute in his admonition.

She stared at him, and then straightening her shoulders, walked to the door. She paused in the doorway and turned to look at him, her expression blank as ever. "I can't just.. let myself act on my whims. I'm not like you."

His expression hardened, and he let out a breath through his teeth. "You know, I'm getting a little tired of you implying that I'm reckless, like I'm a child who doesn't know what he's doing. I can feel what I want, and I can act how I want." He paused, "And I do not deserve your judgement." At his words, the vase with the dead flowers on his desk exploded, sending water splashing across the wooden surface, and shards of glass scattering. Changeling let out a hiss as one shard whizzed past his arm leaving a centimeter deep, 2 inch long, cut. Raven, color flooding her face in embarrassment, reached forward and grabbed his arm. He yanked it away, glaring at her.

"It's fine." He said, his voice going flat. He began to move to clean up the mess, but she grabbed his arm again. Her face was resolute, albeit frustrated.

"Just let me heal you, and then you can go back to being pissed off at me." She bit out. She didn't know who she was angrier at, herself for being fickle, or him for being stubborn. She led him over to the bed where they both sat down beside one another. Raven leaned in close to inspect the cut, her fingers probing the area.

"Rae, really, it's fine. God knows I've had much worse." He said, his jaw still set in a clench. Raven glanced up, meeting his eyes.

"Doesn't mean I can't still help you." She mumbled, looking back to his arm. Her hands glowed blue as she began to heal the cut, the seams of skin melding back together. She let out a sigh while she worked and said, "Look, we just need to calm down. Both of us. We're just pent up because of the hormones." She paused. "Maybe we should talk about this next week, when we aren't so volatile."

"... Maybe." He said. She could feel him staring at her. "Or maybe we should hash this out now like adults instead of constantly running away from each other."

She sat in silence for a moment, and then stood up. "All done, good as new." She turned to leave, but he caught her arm.

"Rae..."

She didn't turn back to him. "Let me go." She said, he voice quiet. Instead of listening to her request, he pulled her too him in one fast move, and then lowered his face to hers in a crushing kiss. She let out a tiny squeak of surprise, and then she melted into the kiss. His hands traveled from her arms, down her waist, and came to rest on her hips. He felt good against her, and she began to wonder why she ever tried to keep this from happening in the first place.

It all happened so fast. He lifted her by the hips and she wrapped her legs around him as he turned so her back hit the wall harshly. He supported her with one arm under her and the other against the wall. She opened her mouth and the kiss deepened, and suddenly nothing else seemed to matter but the feel of his lips and the way he held her close and the smell of his shampoo. She let out a strangled moan, the noise swallowed by his kisses. His tongue danced with hers, both battling for dominance. She let her hands travel over his body, her fingernails raking down his back leaving red marks in their wake. She ran her fingers through his hair and he groaned into the kiss. She felt him grind his hips into hers roughly in a way that made her gasp, "Garfield". He stopped, and pulled back to look at her face.

"What?" She asked, a frown growing on her face. "Is everything ok?"

"Yeah.." He said, and then his lips broke into a wide smile. "My name has just never sounded as good as it does coming out of your mouth." He kissed her again, and this time she could feel him smiling. His other hand moved from the wall to her stomach, grabbing the edge of her shirt. He broke the kiss only to pull it off, leaving her in her bra. She gasped as the cold wall connected with her back, and she arched into him. He used his grip on her hips to grind her against him, his actions getting rougher by the second. She moaned, her eyes dropping shut at the sensation. He reached down between them and rubbed her over her sweatpants. "Fu-" She began, but was cut off when he kissed her harshly.

He moved his kisses from her lips, down her jaw, and to her neck where he bit into her, and she let out a cry. The pain sharpened her senses and she gasped for air.

Suddenly everything felt overwhelming.

"Wait-" She barely breathed out. He continued to rub against her, causing her to moan again. "Stop, I-" She dug her nails into his shoulder and pushed, until he was forced to set her down. "I can't." She finished, her breathing labored. He looked at her, desire still dominant in his body.

"Can't, or won't." He asked, his voice slightly hard. She flushed, whether from their actions or his words she was unsure, and turned her face away from him.

"Either." She muttered. She grabbed her shirt off the floor.

He reached out, catching her by her arms again, and pulled her back to him. "You can't keep stringing me along like this, Raven. If you don't want me, tell me." He said. She met his stare with equal fire.

"I don't have to tell you anything!" she bit out, and tried to pull away from him, though his grip was strong and her efforts futile. She didn't know why she was fighting him this way. She didn't know why she was letting her fear win out.

"Yes, you _do_. You can't just treat people any way you want and then expect things to just be ok!" His grip tightened almost painfully, and he pulled her so they were mere centimeters apart. "Do you want me or not?"

She bit back the '_Yes!'_ she wanted to yell, and instead she pulled away, trying to still her rapidly beating heart. She slid down until she was on her knees, her head in her hands. "Please, just let me _go_." She whispered. She could feel him watching her, his chest rising and falling in rapid pace from their activities.

"You don't need my permission to leave, Rae.." He paused, "And clearly nothing I say matters to you anyways."

She didn't look up. She clenched her eyes shut at his words, and phased through the floor, reappearing inside her room atop her bed. She sighed in relief at the feeling of her soft blankets against her overly sensitive skin. She opened her eyes slowly, and tried to still the way her head was spinning.

Why did this whole thing have to be such a roller coaster?


End file.
